Updated 12/9/15. Tickets for the spring 2016 opening of Highclere Castle are on sale now. If you want an afternoon tea in the coach house, though, you'll have to book quickly. The Dowager waits for no one.
Highclere Castle, the English country estate where Downton Abbey is filmed, has opened an on-site hotel called London Lodge. (Despite the name, the castle and its hotel are in Newbury, West Berkshire, not in London.) The estate, built in 1793, is home to the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon and has already been open to tourists for some time—there are organized Downton-themed tours that take tourists to see the building and grounds. But this marks the first time that visitors can stay overnight there.
London Lodge is a smaller property near Highclere Castle on the estate. The process of opening the lodge took two and a half years. Like many old houses, Highclere suffered from some wear and tear over the years and needed some repairs, including a much-needed new roof. And while the period charm is intact, there are modern amenities in the hotel rooms, including TVs, Wi-Fi, mini-fridges, and (of course) electric kettles perfect for making that cuppa.
Season six of Downton Abbey has already aired in Britain but will premiere in the U.S. on January 3, 2016. Rooms at London Lodge begin at £350 ($540) per night.
This post originally appeared on December 30, 2014. It has been updated with new information.